The chupalla is a traditional Chilean horseman's hat made of straw. Many people in rural areas of Central Chile

Zona Central, Chile

Zona central is one of the five natural regions into which CORFO divided continental Chile in 1950. It is home to a majority of the Chilean population and includes the three largest metropolitan areas- Santiago, Valparaíso, and Concepción...

 use it as well. In addition, it is often used when dancing the cueca

Cueca

Cueca is a family of musical styles and associated dances from Chile, Bolivia, Peru, and Argentina. In Chile, the cueca holds the status of national dance, where it was officially selected on September 18, 1979.- Origins :...

 (a Chilean folk dance) and during Chilean rodeo

Chilean rodeo

Rodeo is a traditional sport in Chile. It was declared the national sport in 1962. It has since thrived, especially in the more rural areas of the country. Chilean rodeo is different from the rodeo found in North America...

s.

The name chupalla comes from achupalla a local name given to a bromelia

Bromelia

Bromelia is a genus of the botanical family Bromeliaceae, subfamily Bromelioideae. Bromelia species are characterized by flowers with a deeply cleft calyx. The genus is named after the Swedish medical doctor and botanist Olaf Bromelius .-Species:* Bromelia agavifolia Brongniart ex Houllet*...

 plant that was used to made chupallas. Today chupallas are made of various types of straw including rice

Rice

Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...

 and wheat

Wheat

Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...

.

The phrase "por la chupalla", may be heard frequently in Chile. It is an interjection

Interjection

In grammar, an interjection or exclamation is a word used to express an emotion or sentiment on the part of the speaker . Filled pauses such as uh, er, um are also considered interjections...

which, loosely translated means "what the heck!" .